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The First Beneficiary Of Compassion Is Always Oneself. When Compassion, Or Warmheartedness, Arises In Us And Our Focus Shifts Away From Our Own Narrow Self-interest, It Is As If We Open An Inner Door. It Reduces Fear, Boosts Confidence And Brings Us Inner Strength. By Reducing Distrust, It Opens Us To Others And Brings Us A Sense Of Connection To Others, And Sense Of Purpose And Meaning In Life.

I Believe That The Very Purpose Of Our Life Is To Seek Happiness. That Is Clear. Whether One Believes In Religion Or Not, Whether One Believes In This Religion Or That Religion, We All Are Seeking Something Better In Life. So, I Think, The Very Motion Of Our Life Is Towards Happiness.

We Have Made A Great Effort To Maintain All Levels Of Buddhist Education; It Has Helped Us Have A Kind Of Renaissance, Really.

We Are Working As Hard As We Can; We Are Preparing Ourselves As Carefully As We Can; We Fully Intend To Make Our Contribution To The World In The Coming Century.

The Problem Isn't Materialism As Such. Rather It Is The Underlying Assumption That Full Satisfaction Can Arise From Gratifying The Senses Alone. Unlike Animals Whose Quest For Happiness Is Restricted To Survival And To The Immediate Gratification Of Sensory Desires, We Human Beings Have The Capacity To Experience Happiness At A Deeper Level Which, When Achieved, Can Overwhelm Unhappy Experiences.